Dr. Lekha D. Bhat

Dr. Lekha D. Bhat works with the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the Central University of Tamil Nadu. She has training in public health and holds an MPhil and a PhD in Social Medicine and Community Health from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Her public health background has shaped her interest in social epidemiology and social determinants approaches to public health.

Before joining the Central University of Tamil Nadu, she worked as an Assistant Professor at Mizoram University for four years. Her areas of interest include informal sector and health, adolescent health, social epidemiological approaches in public health and qualitative methods.

She has published extensively in journals from publishers including Springer, Sage, Taylor and Francis, Wiley and MDPI. She has also authored and edited books with publishers including Sage and Bloomsbury. Her research projects have received funding from the National Human Rights Commission, the Indian Council of Social Science Research, the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Commission for Women.

Dr. Bhat has served as a panel expert with Rajya Sabha TV and BBC World News on public health issues in the Indian context. She is also the university's Associate NCC Officer.